A Dublin maternity hospital has apologised and admitted its shortcomings in its treatment of a couple whose child died in the womb.

The apology was made on behalf of the Rotunda Hospital to Sarah Quigley and Dave Harding after their son David was delivered stillborn in early September 2010.

The couple alleged the hospital's failure to act when it was clear there were problems with the unborn child's health had resulted in the infant's death, at the time Ms Quigley and her unborn child were patients of the hospital.

An apology was read before Mr Justice Anthony Barr at the High Court on Wednesday on behalf of the staff and management at the Rotunda Hospital.

The apology said: "sincerely apologises for the grief, upset, and distress caused to the Ms Sarah Quigley and Mr David Harding arising from the death of their beloved son, David, as a consequence of the short comings in the management of the late stages of Ms Quigley's pregnancy."

The hospital also extended its deepest sympathies to the couple on "David's sad passing."

The apology, counsel for the couple Pauline Walley SC told the court, was part of the settlement of their action against the hospital.

No other details of the settlement were revealed in open court, and the terms are understood to be confidential.

Afterwards speaking through their solicitor Daniel Hughes of Hughes & Associates Solicitors the couple said they welcomed the closure of "six years of very difficult and protracted litigation".

The couple said they were now "very happy that justice has been achieved and they can bring some closure to the matter".

They thanked all their family and friends for their support and all their legal representatives.

The court heard Ms Quigley was a patient at the maternity hospital, having booked in on April 2010.

In their action, the couple, of Riverforrest, Leixlip, Co Kildare, claimed their son was not delivered alive due to placental insufficiency.

This is a complication of pregnancy when the placenta cannot deliver an adequate supply of nutrients and oxygen to the developing baby.

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The defendants it was alleged ought to have known about the condition, failed to detect it and despite the presence of factors indicating the necessity for medical intervention failed to act and deliver the baby by caesarian section.

Their actions, it was further claimed, caused the baby to die in utero at 40 weeks.

The court heard Ms Quigley had presented at the hospital twice in August 2010. On the first occasion she was complaining of pain.

It was claimed on that occasion a doctor at the hospital dismissed Ms Quigley's complaints, did not listen to Ms Quigley, and questioned Ms Quigley's assertion she was 37 weeks pregnant.

The doctor had insisted Ms Quigley was just 34 weeks pregnant, and did not arrange for a scan. Ms Quigley returned to the hospital clinic two weeks later but despite readings that showed the baby was not thriving or developing as he should no intervention was made by the hospital.

The only thing suggested by the hospital was a follow up check up a week later.

When the couple returned she and her partner were informed the baby had died in utero. David was delivered stillborn on September 2nd 2010.

The baby's parents suffered great shock and emotional upset over the loss of their child. Their health suffered and they were very upset at the manner in which they were treated by the defendant.